End-around

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The end-around is a play in American Football in which a wide receiver receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in order to gain yardage, or more rarely, he attempts to pass to another eligible pass receiver. Both such plays are uncommon and can be considered trick plays.

End-Arounds are usually preferred to reverses in the NFL, as although they are less convincing, there is less chance of a fumble, as there is only one handoff, with one person moving rather than two, when a moving running back hands off to a moving wideout.

The end-around is often confused with a reverse play. They are similar in that the receiver takes a handoff. However, in a reverse play, the receiver gains the ball on the second handoff, usually from a running back.